The confusingly labeled numbered, Batman and Robin: Born to Kill is a reboot off the great Grant Morrison run on the title. I, like I’m guessing many probably aren’t as familiar with this team and who can blame me? This comic seems to be done for marketing purposes using both the Batman and Robin brand that Grant Morrison built up as well as great surreal comic art to appeal to trick fans into purchases.
I am unfamiliar with the original Grant Morrison run as well as whichever 52 DC is doing now, but this run is a bit bland and unmemorable after fans might’ve been spoiled by the great Grant Morrison. Despite being 8 issues long, not much is done in this arc, other than to cash cow the franchise.
Also, the issues don’t get into the backstory of Damien, which is very confusing if you haven’t been following the continuities up to this point. Not filling us in on the other Robins makes perfect sense since it’s not their story. However, the backstory that Damien’s a clone is really weak as Batman debatably shouldn’t feel an attachment to him as it was more of what the League did with science and hoopla rather than a mistake of passion and nature on his part. Not to mention helping have boundaries for a completely different universe would’ve been important.
Thematically having Morgan Ducard manipulate Damien Wayne seems quite interesting, (having his mask consist of the compound eyes of a spider,) but there’s not really any stakes here. Unlike with DC films, Batman: Under the Red Hood and the Dark Knight, you don’t really see Wayne visually tested reaching his limits regarding whether he has to kill or not, besides with Ducard’s taunts. Also, there isn’t much substance for Ducard’s character, albeit he is there as a devil’s advocate type figure. (Heck, at times in the comic, I thought he was just a hallucination of Damien’s possibly from League of Assassins genetic engineering.) The dialogue could’ve been a bit like that of Quentin Tarantino films, giving you clues as to this one-shot character who can possibly dies origin, making fans really feel a connection before pulling him away. Instead, all the clues about Ducard that make him interesting are only done through his character/costume design rather than character depth, the real meat of what fans enjoy. It’s not like they sold a Morgan Ducard action figure, not that I’m aware of at least.
Although it really does demonstrate a potential Joker or Scarecrow toxin issue later on in the series if they truly utilize artist Patrick Gleason’s potential, it seems more like subliminal advertising rather than quality work. How it should’ve been in this comic based on that drawing is that Damien kills Bruce to take the mantle of the new Batman with him and Ducard gaining control of the city for the League of Assassins.
Contrast to that, at least they didn’t make the Joker, be the bad guy for the millionth time, albeit they kill off Ducard way too early for fans to get an attachment to him.
I don’t really get what Batman’s deal with Ace is. I don’t really get what Batman tried to achieve, albeit Damien didn’t pull a Michael Vick. Damien in the end essentially pulls a Wonder Woman, killing off Morgan Ducard. Also, I don’t feel like it’s a Frank Miller, Batman, so I don’t get why they would have Batman use the word kill in this comic other than to exploit teen fans who think that word is cool because of the MPAA. I also don’t get the appeal of a gun totting Robin, other than if you plan on in citing the mentally ill Columbine crowd. I dunno. It worked with Chloe Grace Moretz in both Hick and Kick-Ass, but I dunno. Just didn’t look cool to me here.
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